Outdoor lighting fixture



Jan. 27, 1970 E. o REIS 3,492,475

OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April 10, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet llNVENTOR/S [LMER 0 Pas,

Jan. 27, 1970 E. o. REIS OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 10, 1967 l NVENTOR/S [444512 0 km,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 240-128 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An elongated outdoor lighting fixture having a U- shaped lenswith an outwardly extending flange. A lens retainer receives andsupports the flange along its entire length. The retainer is held inplace by caps secured to the end casting of the fixture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Outdoor fluorescent lighting fixtures suchas contemplated by the instant invention are commonly used in a numberof applications; they are used in gasoline service stations, in parkinglots, and in connection with outdoor advertising and the like. A lightof the type under consideration comprises a generally elongate, slimfixture having a pair of end castings. One or more fluorescent lighttubes extend between these castings. The castings will of course besuitably secured to a body portion or base for the fixture, and thelight tube or tubes will be covered by a transparent, plastic lens.

Lighting fixtures of this general type are extremely old and well known.According to common, commercial practice, the plastic lens will be heldin place by a plurality of clips or bands otherwise secured to the bodyor base of the light fixture. This expedient is unsatisfactory, in thatit does not give proper support to the lens over its entire length. As apractical matter, commercial light fixtures of this type may bemanufactured in lengths up to 8 feet. Over such a span, it is veryditficult to hold a plastic lens in place without sag.

A second common problem is providing an easy and quick method forremoving and replacing the entire lens, either for cleaning andmaintenance or for light tube replacement.

Finally, it will be apparent that because of exposure to weather,insects, and the like, the fit between the lens and the body andcastings of the fixtures should be as tight as possible. According tothe prior art, this is generally accomplished by the use of gaskets andthe like. While a properly gasketed fixture is satisfactory for alimited period of time, these gaskets tend to loose their resiliency andform, and become unsatisfactory after a period of use. This of coursepermits insects, dirt, and the like to get into the fixture, requiringrelatively frequent cleaning.

SUMMARY This invention contemplates the provision of a transparent,extruded lens having flanged edges. These flanged edges are configuredto mate with and be supported by an extruded lens retainer. This lensretainer may readily be supported along its entire length, and theentire assembly comprising the lens and lens retainers is held in placeby a pair of caps for the end castings.

The mating configuration of the flanged edge of the lens and its lensretainer provides very good support for the lens over its entire length,thereby completely preventing sag or the like.

:Furthermore, the mating configuration of the lens and lens retainerprovide a substantially insect proof and weather proof joint, whichrequires no gaskets, and is not subject to deterioration o-r looseningdue to exposure to the elements.

In addition, the entire lens and lens retainer assembly of thisinvention may be quickly and easily removed for maintenance of thefixture or replacement of light tubes, and then be replaced in a minimumof time and Without any particular skill or tools.

DRAWINGS Reference will be made from time to time to the accompanyingdrawings, in which the same reference numerals have been used todesignate identical parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a lighting fixture according to thisinvention with one of the end caps removed;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 ofFIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fixture shown inFIGURE 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The lighting fixture includes abody portion indicated generally in FIGURE 1 at 10. As will be clearfrom examining FIGURES 2 and 3, the body portion 10 is simply a piece ofsheet metal or the like formed into a U- shaped configuration, havingthe sides 10a and 10b, and the bottom 10c. Secured at each end of thebody portion 10 are the end castings 12. In the embodiment shown, theend castings 12 are screwed to the body portion 10 by means of thefasteners 14.

The configuration of the end casting is probably best seen in FIGURE 3.It will be observed that the lower portion of the end casting asindicated at 16 is adapted to fit snugly within the body portion 10, andin fact the fasteners 14 mentioned above are threadedly received by thisportion 16.

Just above the portion 16 of the walls of the casting is an offset 18,so that the portions 20 of the end casting will be spaced inwardly fromthe side walls 10a and 10b forming the endmost portions of a channelwhich will be described in more detail.

It will also be noted that in FIGURES 2 and 4 that the end castings 12are each provided with the inwardly extending shoulders 22. Theseinwardly extending shoulders from the two end castings support theformed reflector indicated generally at 24 in FIGURE 2. It will beobserved that this reflector 24 has the side walls 26 and 28, which arespaced inwardly from the walls 10a and 10b of the body portion to formthe remainder of the channels mentioned above.

The elongate hollow space within the body 10 and beneath the reflector24 may be used to house wiring, electrical ballasts, and the like.

The mounting for the fluorescent light tubes are-entirely conventional,and will not be described in detail. As seen in FIGURES 2 and 4,standard end plates 30 and 32 will be secured to the inside, upperportion of the end castings, to provide the conventional sockets 34 and36 for the light tube.

The lens for the light fixture is indicated generally at 38. Preferablythis will be formed of a suitable, transparent plastic material, andwill be contoured to fit over the upper portion of the end castings 12as is clearly seen in FIGURE 2.

The preferred configuration of each edge of the lens 38 is seen inFIGURE 2. It will be observed that at the point 40, the edge of the lensis offset outwardly by a distance equal to the thickness of the innerwall of the view along the lens retainer described in a moment, It willalso be observed that just below the offset 40, each edge of the lens isprovided with an outwardly extending flange 42.

It will also be noted in FIGURE 2 that the edge just described isreceived in the extruded aluminum lens retainer indicated generally at44. This lens retainer includes a lower portion 46 which is generallyU-shaped in cross section, and adapted to receive the lowermost edge ofthe lens 38. It will also be noted that this portion 46 of the lensretainer will lit in the longitudinal channel formed between the walls10a, 10b, and the walls 26 and 28 of the reflector 24.

It will also be noted that the lens retainer includes a slot 48 adaptedto receive the flange 42 of the lens described earlier.

It will be recalled that the lower edge of the lens is oflset as at 40.It will now be recognized that this means that the innermost edge of thelens retainer and the portion of the lens above the offset 40 aresubstantially flush against the upper portion of the end casting.

As briefly indicated earlier in this specification, the entire lens-lensretainer assembly is securely held in place by means of the caps 50which are secured to the end castings by means of the fasteners 52. Itwill be seen clearly in FIGURES l and 4 that the total length of thelens 38 is somewhat less than the length of the lens retainers 44. Thatis, the ends of the lens retainers 44 will be substantially flush withthe outermost surface of the top portion of the end castings 12. Bycomparison, the ends of the lens 38 are short enough to be insidefasteners 52 passing through the end caps 50. Therefore, there is nohole or other opening in the lens itself which must be aligned prior toassembly,

Numerous modifications in the foregoing invention will be apparent tothe skilled worker in the art. While the invention has been described interms of an exemplary embodiment, no limitation is to be inferred orimplied, except insofar as specifically set forth in the claims whichfollow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an outdoor lighting fixture including a body portion having a pairof longitudinal channels, the improvements comprising:

(a) a lens having spaced apart longitudinal edge p0r tions, each saidlongitudinal edge portion having an outwardly extending flange;

(b) a lens retainer for each longitudinal edge portion of said lens,said lens retainer including a first portion, generally U-shaped incross section to receive said longitudinal edge portion of said lens,and a second portion extending outwardly from said first portion andhaving a slot to receive said flange; and

(0) means to releasabiy secure said lens to said fixture with said lensretainers being received in said chan nels-in said body portion.

2. The fixture claimed in claim 1 wherein said flange extends the fulllength of said lens.

3. The fixture claimed in claim 2 wherein said lens retainer is longerthan said lens.

4. The fixture claimed in claim 1 wherein each said longitudinal edgeportion of said lens is offset, whereby the inner surface of the lensadjacent the oifset is substantially flush with the inner surface ofsaid lens retainer.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said outwardly extendingflange is spaced from the free edge of said longitudinal edge portion.

6. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said outwardly extendingportion is configured to engage the longitudinal edge of said bodyportion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,913,575 11/1959 Lipscomb 24051.11 2,993,115 7/1961 Rosenblatt 240-5111 3,268,722 8/1966 Nolan 2401283,397,308 8/1968 Wakefield 240l28 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner L. H.MCCORMICK, 1a., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2403, 51.11

